Two and a half years after IDW Publishing’s third Star Trek: The Next Generation Mirror Universe miniseries came to an end, the comic group is crossing back over to that dark dimension in a new 13-issue series kicking off this fall: The Mirror War.
Along with illustrator Carlos Nieto, returning writing team Scott and David Tipton, who crafted the previous three TNG sagas — Mirror Broken, Through the Mirror, and Terra Incognita — will kick off the first of a 13-issue saga spanning a year of publication this September with “Issue #0” of Star Trek: The Next Generation — The Mirror War, setting the stage for the story ahead.
The previous three stories featured Captain Jean-Luc Picard, commander of the warship Enterprise, one of the last ships in the dwindling Terran Empire — as the once-powerful nation has found itself reduced in size after the Cardassian-Klingon Alliance became the Alpha Quadrant’s dominant power.
Here’s all the details from IDW Publishing’s announcement:
This zero issue features a new story of “Mirror Picard” as he’s summoned to Earth to face the wrath of his emperor, deftly weaving threads from past Mirror Universe tales in a way entertaining to newcomers and the initiated alike.
Following September’s #0 launch, the series will continue to build year-long tension with issues #1-8 and four interspersed tie-in specials, each highlighting a different member of the Next Generation cast. The first spin-off one-shot, slated for December, will focus on Data. Once complete, the 13-part saga will chart Mirror Picard’s path of conquest across all of the Mirror Universe, stoking the wrath of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance along the way.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to return to the Mirror Universe,” says Scott Tipton. “What’s in store for our Mirror Jean-Luc Picard and his Enterprise crew? New faces, new places, and old grudges. Picard’s ambitions are grander than ever, and nothing short of the throne itself will satisfy him!”
“In The Mirror War, we’ll be seeing what happens when Picard gets hold of information that can change the fortunes of the debilitated Terran Empire,” says David Tipton. “The Enterprise crew will find themselves in positions of potential power and wealth like never before.”
“With Mirror Broken, Through the Mirror, and Terra Incognita, Scott and David Tipton — along with our Mirror War series cover artist J.K. Woodward — crafted a compelling and wholly original corner of the Star Trek universe. We’re excited to continue that tradition with The Mirror War, all while bringing new artists and storytellers into those Trek landscapes that fans love,” says editor Megan Brown.
For collectors, each issue of the Mirror War series will be released with multiple cover variants; the primary cover for issues #1-12 will be from IDW’s Star Trek mainstay artist J.K. Woodward.
Are you excited to head back to the Next Generation-era Mirror Universe storyline, or are you tired of the Terran Empire? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!